Theodore horton



(No Model.) r

- T. HORTON.

HAND GORN PLANTER.

Patented May 9,1882.

Nof 257,820.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE HORTON, or ,BLUFFTON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, AND WASHINGTON I. FITCH AND WILLIAM W. WISILL, sa, BOTH or SAME PLACE.

HAND CORN-PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 257,820, dated May 9, 1882.

Application filed February 18, 1882. (No model.)

beinghad to the accompanying drawings,and to i the lettersof reference marked thereon, which to form part of this specification.

Thisinvention relates to improvements on hand corn-planters; and the nature of my invention consists in the combination, with a flat staflhavingadoublegrasping-handle,aspringrdischarger, and a hopper, of a novel means,

hereinafter explained, whereby the operator. with one hand can handle the implement and effect the discharge of the corn in regular graduated quantities. a

My invention has reference especially to the construction of the cast-metal frame or bracket on which the bottom of the hopper is fitted, and to'which the cut-off is directly applied; also, to means for giving an intermittent rotary movement to the dropping-wheel, and actuating the cut-ofi, which is locatedbeneath this wheel, as will be hereinafter described.

The following description of my invention, when taken in connection with the annexed o drawings, will enable others skilled in the art to fully understand it.

Figure l is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through the bottom of the seed-box. Fig.3 is a perspective view of the 5 casting of the bottom of the seed-box. Fig. 4

is a plan View of the same.

A designates the flatstatf of the implement; B, the hopper for containing the corn to be dropped in suitable charges; 0, a flat pointor 4o penetrating plate, which is straight with the staff; and D, a slightly-bent point or thrusting plate, which is made of spring metal, and

which is so shaped and applied to the staff that its lower end closes by its own spring action 5 against the lower end of the'rigidly-fixed plate or point C. A short arm, a, is secured rigidly to the spring-plate D, and this arm is connected by a rod or link, I), to a curved lever, E, whichis pivoted to a bracket, E, fixed to the back of the staff A. The outer or shortest arm of leverE is connected by a rod,c, to a I finger-lever, F, which is pivoted to the back of the stafl' in such close relation to a T-handle, A, that the operator, while grasping this handle by one hand, can operate the said lever by the same hand and spring the plateD from the plate or point 0 when he desires to dropa charge of corn into the hole made by thrusting ing said plates into the soil.

G designates a castmetal frame or bracket, which is rigidly secured to the edges of the staff by means of screws passed throughears d (I, cast on this plate or frame. Lugs c are cast on the upper side of the frame G, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to receive the lower edges of the hopper B and to sustain the same both inside and outside and afford stiffness thereto. That edge of the frame G which abuts against the face of the staff A is also constructed-with lugs f, which depend from it and afford a firm 7o bearing for the same. The frame G has alarge opening through it, on one side of which is a raised gateway, 9, having a rectangular entrance, which is closed by means of a flexible fiat india-rubber secured by a rivet to the vertical lip of the gateway. The bottom of the frame G is fiat, and has fitted closely to it the flat top of the perforated dropping-wheel H. This wheel rests upon the tint top of a bracket, J, which is rigidly secured to the'face of the staff A, and which is cast with a stud, it, around which the dropping-wheel II is free to turn. I prefer to coverthe upper end of this stud l1, and for this purpose 1 cast aflat offset, 8 9 on one side of the gateway g. The wheel H. is provided with ratchet-teeth i on its periphery corrcspondin g in number and arrangement to the circular downwardly-flaring holes orcellsj through the wheel. With these teeth t'engage a hooked actuating spring-pawl, k, and a retaining-pawl, l. The spring-pawl]; is pivoted to the lower bent arm of lever E, so that at each upward stroke of the finger-lever axis a distance equal to the length of a tooth, t. The pawl lis fixed to one edge of the staffA, and prevents wheel H from being moved backward. It will be seen that the wheel H is given intermittent movements in one direction, andat each movement a ccll,j, is carried beneath the flexible cut-01f to discharge its gate or cut-off, 9, preferably made of a loop of 7 5 F the dropping-wheel will be moved about its V contents through an opening, m, made through the bracket J, upon a cut-off or valve, L. This valve L is pivoted to a lug, a, at one end and to aconnecting-rod, n, at the other end, which rod or link is loosely attached to the lower end of the lever E. The cutoff or valve L is thus moved beneath the hole on just before a charge of corn is dropped from the wheel H, and when w on the lever E on one side ofthe arm to which the pawl 70 is pivoted.

It will be seen that when the finger-lever is raised a charge of corn will be dropped from the lower end of the stafi, and another charge will be dropped from the wheel H upon the cut-off L. When the finger-lever is released the spring point-plate D will return the parts to their former positions, close the passage N at the lower end of the staff, and drop a charge of corn-from the cut-off L to the bottom of said passage.

It will be seen by reference to Figs. 3 and 4 that I bevel or score the back edges of the cells j at p. This is done for the purpose of allowing a grain to slip back when a cell isovercharged, and thus prevent clogging. j

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. The frame G, consisting of the gateway and the otlset 9 in combination with the dropping-wheel, the perforated bracket, the passage leading therefrom to the bottom of the staff, the cut-off valve L, and means for actuating the dropping-wheel, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the frame G, the gate- Wvay g, formed thereon, the droppingwheel turning about a pivot. on the bracket J, the pawls k Z, the cut-off valve L, and thelever E, connected to the spring pointplate D and to the finger-lever, substantially as described.

3. Thelframe G, cast entire and consisting of the gateway g, the offset 9 the lugs e, and lugsf, substantially in the manner and for the purposes described. .f

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. THEODORE HORTON.

Witnesses:

T. H. ALEXANDER, WM. R. KEYWORT-H. 

